Legal Department

Clearinghouse Project

The Clearinghouse Project began in 1997 as a pilot program, the first in the country, to provide legal representation to victims of domestic violence at final hearings for Injunctions for Protection Against Domestic Violence, and to provide legal advice and consultation to victims. FCADV subcontracts with legal services providers (Clearinghouse Attorneys), who accept client referrals from Florida's certified domestic violence centers throughout the state. The project has been an unqualified success, and many other state coalitions provide legal services to domestic violence victims based on the Clearinghouse model. FCADV also provides training and technical assistance to its Clearinghouse Attorneys.

FCADV contracts with Florida Legal Services, Inc. to operate the Domestic Violence Legal Hotline to provide free legal advice and referrals to victims of domestic, dating and sexual violence and stalking regarding injunctions for protection and other family law matters. Non-English speaking hotline callers have access to foreign language interpreters.

Legal Hotline Fotonovela
With funding from the Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime, FCADV, in collaboration with Florida Legal Services, Inc. and the Rural Women's Health Project, developed a fotonovela for Spanish-speaking members of rural immigrant and farmworker communities that provides information about the Legal Hotline Services.